Overview & Reviews

Introduced in the mid 2000s just as gas prices were beginning to race skyward, the Honda Fit immediately became a hit with frugal car shoppers. A subcompact four-door hatchback, the Honda Fit has earned praise for its world-class engineering and design, and it has definitely found its niche with consumers, particularly with the second-generation model. With either generation, you'll find crisp handling, an adaptable interior, high-quality fit and finish and a relatively low price. An all-new third-generation Fit is also on its way. For small-car shoppers, the Honda Fit represents an almost ideal package.

Current Honda Fit
The Honda Fit is available in two main trim levels: base and Sport. Both come with a fuel-efficient 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine that produces 117 horsepower and 106 pound-feet of torque. A five-speed manual transmission is standard, with a five-speed automatic transmission being optional. Paddle shifters are included with the automatic for the Sport version. Fuel economy is respectably good with either transmission.

On the base Fit, air-conditioning, cruise control, keyless entry a tilt-and-telescoping steering column and a four-speaker audio system with a CD player, auxiliary audio jack and iPod/USB audio interface are standard. The Honda Fit Sport gains bigger wheels, sportier exterior trim details and a six-speaker audio system. Fit Sports can also be optioned with a touchscreen navigation system that includes Bluetooth phone and audio connectivity and voice controls.

The Fit is Honda's smallest automotive product, but it nearly matches the total passenger space of the larger Civic sedan. To help achieve this, Honda has installed a compact rear suspension design and placed the fuel tank underneath the passenger seat. Another key advantage for the Fit is its innovative, highly versatile rear seating arrangement. The "Magic Seat" has seatbacks that fold flat and seat cushions that can be flipped upward, creating a tall load area right behind the front seats -- sort of like a crew cab pickup's rear seats. Maximum cargo capacity is an impressive 57 cubic feet.

In reviews, we've found the Honda Fit to be a pleasure to drive for a frugal subcompact. The car has a solid feel to it, countering the perception of vehicles in this class as tinny econoboxes. Generally speaking, the Honda Fit continues the model's tradition of providing serious bang for the buck, and its combination of driving dynamics, polish and big-time practicality distinguish it from the competition.

Used Honda Fit Models
The current second-generation Honda Fit debuted for the 2009 model year. No notable changes occurred until 2012, when it received minor styling updates, steering-wheel-mounted audio controls, added sound insulation and an upgraded Bluetooth system with streaming audio capabilities.

The first-generation Honda Fit was available for just two years: 2007 and 2008. It came in two trim levels with no factory options available. The base version adhered to a minimalist philosophy, though it still came standard with air-conditioning and a CD player. The uplevel Sport trim was snazzier and, predictably, we favored it. It featured larger, 15-inch alloy wheels, stickier tires, exterior styling pieces, keyless entry, cruise control, a leather-wrapped steering wheel and a premium MP3-compatible audio system with an auxiliary audio jack.

The Fit stuck to the Honda playbook when it came to interior controls, which were intelligently designed and utilized high-quality materials. For a subcompact, the first-generation Honda Fit was surprisingly roomy and versatile. Chalk much of that up to the car's specialized second-row, 60/40-split seat design. The rear seats could be placed into four different configurations, depending on passenger or cargo needs. Folding the rear seat flat provided a surprising 41.9 cubic feet of cargo capacity.

Both trim levels were front-wheel drive and were equipped with a 1.5-liter, 109-hp four-cylinder engine. A five-speed manual transmission was standard, and a five-speed automatic was optional. Fit Sports with the automatic also had steering-wheel-mounted shift paddles.

We found the first-generation Honda Fit to possess an enviable driving-fun-to-thrift ratio. Cornering and acceleration were crisp. The subcompact could achieve 0-60-mph sprints in fewer than 10 seconds with either transmission. Fuel economy was commendable, and safety was good. The whole thing was almost perfect. Almost. The main downside was that although the car seemed less tinny than other cars in its class, at highway speeds the engine made its presence known. The lack of a telescoping steering wheel could also be an annoyance for taller drivers. But on balance the first-generation Honda Fit provided about as much fun, satisfaction and value as you could find in a small economy car.

User Reviews:

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  Love My Fit! - 2010 Honda Fit
  By a_reality - September 25 - 2:00 am

  I searched around for a long time at different car models before finally purchasing my Fit. I could not be happy. I live in a dense downtown area so I needed a car that was both small but could haul a lot of stuff. This car seriously has more room on the inside when the seats are folded down then some SUVs my friends own. You can tell a lot of thought went into the design of this vehicle. Visibility is outstanding! The ride is comfortable and no it wont win any speed records but if I wanted that I would buy a sports car. Worth every penny.

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  Fun & Efficient - 2009 Honda Fit
  By zach - September 24 - 2:00 am

  I bought this car to replace an aging Chevy Tracker, knowing I was going to put a lot of miles on the next year. The Fit has more cargo room than the SUV had, and the thing is so incredibly fun to drive on curved roads. Thing is, I dont think Ive gotten less than 35 mpg yet, with 31,000 miles on it! I have gotten 40-42 mpg (calculated, not based off the computer) on many occasions. Of course, I try to be smart with the manual so as to save gas, but Im definitely no hyper-miler. This car is fun to drive, very fuel efficient, and has incredible storage capacity.

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  Fantastic car for the money - 2010 Honda Fit
  By RJS - September 23 - 2:00 am

  Ive been driving this car for 2 weeks now. The gas mileage is outstanding, averaging in the low 30s, and I am not having to drive like an old man to achieve it. It begs to be driven lively, and its engine loves to rev. It looks small, but it has tons of space on the inside, and its build quality is so much better than anything else in its price range.

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  Excellent Small Car - 2010 Honda Fit
  By James - September 16 - 2:00 am

  I selected the 5-speed manual as the automatic stole too much power from the engine. The manual offers surprising performance, smooth acceleration, and is averaging a 28-30 MPG around town. Very fun to drive and has good handling for small car. It can be loud at highway speeds due to road noise and high engine RPM. No problems with front seat comfort as others mention I am 62". The rear magic seat is amazing. With everything folded down, the fit will swallow an unbelievable amount of cargo, surpassing many small SUVs. Audio system is excellent. Interior design is simple and functional, but does not feel cheap. No other small car can provide so much value and versatility.

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  Bought 2 - 2009 Honda Fit
  By mark - September 4 - 7:42 pm

  My wife and I bought 2 of these after reading reviews and test driving one. I drive about 80 miles a day to and from work and love it costing me $22.00 a week to fill it up. Much cheaper than my old Explorer. Wish it would have come with floor mats for what it cost. Went to the dealer and told him what we wanted and drive them home in about 3 hours. No having to deal with the usual new car sales b.s. if we could have afforded it we would have bought the suv and 1 fit instead. Still love them and they are very reliable. If you are thinking about one, buy it. its worth the money

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  Love it, wish it had more power though - 2009 Honda Fit
  By Sdax - September 4 - 5:09 am

  Ive had this fit sport over a year, only racked up 5000 miles. I love to drive it when the weather is nice. The first snow storm, tracked through the snow great but, didnt feel too confident the car is really light and it slid a few times. So parked it all winter and drove my awd car. On long drives prefer to drive my other car..not crazy about the road noise and slow acceleration. But the car is great for city driving and parallel parking is a breeze, but its deceptive in that i think im always close to the car behind/front of me but in reality Im pretty far. Overall I love the car, but its not my first choice if Im going on a long trip.

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  Great little car - 2010 Honda Fit
  By Chuck Rule - September 2 - 7:00 am

  A long time Honda owner, I just traded a Ridgeline, and I couldnt be happier. I put a lot of miles on my cars so I needed better fuel mileage. This car gets better than advertised. First tank 40 mpg (1/2 city/hwy). I used the a/c a lot on my second tank and got 37. I drive with a light foot, keep it in sport mode and shift up often, cant help to think what this cars mileage and performance could be w/ a DSG . This car is screwed together well. very tight with no squeaks or rattles. Stereo is nice quality and I got a few things that the Ridgeline didnt offer in 2008, like telescoping steering wheel, fog lights, and daytime running lights. For the price this Honda has a winner here.

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  I love my Fit! - 2009 Honda Fit
  By PJ - August 27 - 1:05 pm

  Dear future Fit owners! You know, they say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Well, its true! Two friends of mine have bought a Honda Fit in the last 2 years because of how much I have raved about mine! Honda should pay ME a royalty! LOL! All you have to do is open the door, get in the gi-normous cabin, turn it on & drive away- youll be hooked! If you dont have a traffic-filled commute, get the 5- speed, the power is significantly better than the automatic. My bighearted little purple girl is perfect anywhere, anytime. Fast getting on the freeway, awesome going up mountain roads, great in the snow, and boy, so light that it flies watch out, youll be doing 85 & not realize it

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  Love my Fit - 2010 Honda Fit
  By Len - August 26 - 7:46 am

  I have only had my Fit for a week, but on a mix of driving it is getting 37.4 mpg according to the instruments. Tomorrow I will fill it up for the first time and calculate the mpg. My wife has a Fit and over the past two months it has proven to be a fine little vehicle. The Honda attention to detail is really nice, I could not find an assembly flaw. The electric power steering will take some getting use to, but I enjoy driving the car. The Honda dealer was a joy after many bad car dealers I have experienced. The instruments say it is getting 50 mpg at 50 mph and 40 mpg at 60 mph. Really amazing and much better than I would have expected before seeing how my wifes was.

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  Workhorse - 2010 Honda Fit
  By Porter - August 23 - 4:44 am

  I just wanted to say that my Honda fit has been amazing. I use it for delivering pizza at night. Im currently getting 33 MPG in all in town deliveries. with great performance with a very quick automatic 6 spd trans. Just remember not to load this car down MPG is killed with any extra weight.